Cheese travel
Cheese in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is second in the nation for Swiss cheese production, but for visitors the good stops are farm stores. Calkins Creamery near Honesdale sells raw milk cheeses from its own Holsteins six days a week, Fairview Swiss Cheese in Fredonia has a retail store at its plant, and around Lancaster you can fill a cooler at September Farm and the S. Clyde Weaver stores.
Cheese Shops
The Cheese Regions
The Poconos and northeast have Calkins Creamery at Highland Farm outside Honesdale, a family dairy making cave-aged raw milk cheeses such as Noble Road Brie and the garlicky Vampire Slayer. You might meet the cows when you visit.
Lancaster and Chester counties are the most visited farm country in the state. September Farm in Honey Brook, a family business that opened its store there in 2013, makes cheddar, Monterey Jack and cheese curds and runs a country market, coffee shop, sandwich shop and ice cream counter. S. Clyde Weaver, known for smoked meats and cheese, has a retail store and cafe in East Petersburg and a store on Lititz Pike in Lancaster.
In central Pennsylvania, Clover Creek Cheese Cellar in Williamsburg is a small family dairy, making cheese since 2005, that opens its farm store on Saturday mornings and runs tours and classes. Out west near the Ohio line, Fairview Swiss Cheese in Fredonia has made Swiss since 1951 and calls itself the state's largest Swiss cheese maker.
When to Go
Farm stores are open all year, but summer and early fall are best for seeing animals on pasture. In January, the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg is one of the largest indoor agricultural events in America; the 2027 show runs from 9 to 16 January with free admission and $15 parking, and dairy is one of its big themes.
Getting Around
You need a car for the farms. Lancaster is on Amtrak's Keystone line from Philadelphia and New York, which works for the city shops but not the farms. Honesdale is in the far northeast near the New York line, and Fredonia is closer to Pittsburgh.
Cheesemakers and Shops to Visit
| Place | Town | What you can do | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clover Creek Cheese Cellar | Williamsburg | Farm store with cheese, raw milk and grass-fed beef; tours and classes | Store Saturdays 10am to noon |
| Fairview Swiss Cheese | Fredonia | Retail store at the Swiss cheese plant, 1734 Perry Highway | Call 724-475-4154 for hours |
| September Farm | Honey Brook | Cheese shop, country market, coffee shop, sandwich shop and ice cream | Check the website |
| S. Clyde Weaver | East Petersburg | Retail store and cafe with smoked meats and cheeses not sold online | Check the website |
| S. Clyde Weaver Lititz Pike | Lancaster | Store with cheese, cold cuts and lunch | Check the website |
| Pennsylvania Farm Show | Harrisburg | Indoor state fair with dairy exhibits and food; free entry | 9 to 16 January 2027 |
Where to Stay in Pennsylvania
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Questions People Ask
Where can you buy cheese at a farm in Pennsylvania?
At Calkins Creamery near Honesdale (Monday to Saturday), Clover Creek Cheese Cellar in Williamsburg (Saturday mornings) and September Farm in Honey Brook.
When is the 2027 Pennsylvania Farm Show?
From 9 to 16 January 2027 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. Admission is free; parking costs $15.